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Drink

Simple Decoction of Pearl Barley, Commonly Called Barley Water

A simple drink made by simmering pearl barley in water and straining the liquid.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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Simple Decoction of Pearl Barley, Commonly Called Barley Water

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Prepare

  1. Rinse the pearl barley under cold water.

  2. In a pot, combine the rinsed barley and water.

Cook and serve

  1. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

  2. Strain the liquid to remove the barley.

  3. Serve warm or chilled as a refreshing drink.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Pearl barley
Releases starch and flavour into the water as it simmers, giving the drink its body and taste.
Water
Extracts flavour from the barley during simmering and becomes the drink itself.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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